SILFAB SOLAR FAQs
Silfab Solar welcomes the opportunity for the new school to be built near its facility. When the company moved into the light industrial zone, schools were not allowed to be built in these zones. There was a decision by York County Council to rezone our area to allow a school to be built. Our other facilities are next to bodies of water and in the middle of urban areas. Our safety protocols have kept environments and the people around our facility safe.
Additional Documentation:
Silfab Solar uses certain materials to assemble and clean products. The company has taken best in class steps to reduce any risk to our employees, their families and neighboring communities. Materials used during our assembly processes can all be found in household products. For instance hydrochloric acid is used for food processing i.e. soft drinks, cookies, ketchup and cereals. Hydrofluoric acid is used in everyday pharmaceuticals and agriculture. Silane is used to develop smartphones, laptops and cars.
The Local Emergency Planning Committee, York County Office of Emergency Management, Flint Hill Fire Department and the EPA are a part of our planning to ensure that all parties are prepared for any type of unlikely event that may require a response.
York County reaffirmed that our operations are light industrial in a statement on June 25, 2024 stating “As a verification by York County staff, and outside of and independent from any action by York County Council, the letter confirmed for Silfab Solar that solar panel manufacturing is allowed in the light industrial zoning district.” York County also noted that the Board of Zoning Appeals decision from May 9, 2024 does NOT apply to Silfab Solar and only applies to future projects.
Click here to see how Silfab Solar meets all the criteria for Light Industrial zoning.
Silfab Solar is committed to sustainability and will return an estimated 80 percent of the water used, back to the City of Rock Hill. At Silfab, responsible water management is a priority, and we continuously explore opportunities to integrate water conservation measures into our operations.
To maintain transparency and uphold environmental standards, Silfab Solar engages a certified third-party laboratory to periodically test treated wastewater being sent to the sanitary sewer. These tests verify that water quality consistently exceeds all applicable federal and local regulatory requirements.
You can also remove the “Logistics Land and Occupancy” from “The Facts” section.
The Silfab Solar assembly process will be contained inside our main building. To ensure the air we disperse outside is clean, we will be installing a wet scrubber on the side of the building. This is NOT a smokestack. This scrubber removes nearly all emissions, far exceeding South Carolina emission standards. The result of the cleaning process is steam, or water vapor, that will be released outside. This process far exceeds South Carolina emission standards. Residents will only see this steam during the winter months as temperatures cool outside. In early designs submitted to DHEC, this wet scrubber was designed to be on the top of the main building standing at a height of 70ft. Silfab Solar revised its design and the scrubber will now be placed on the side of the building rising to a height equal to that of the building – 50ft. We informed DHEC (now the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services - SCDES) of this design change on May 17th, 2024. On July 31, 2024 SCDES approved the new height.
As the U.S. seeks to increase the percentage of American-made components of solar modules, South Carolina is one of several states gearing up for domestic solar cell production in the country. Silfab Solar® has over 40 years of experience in the solar industry and since 2010 has been assembling solar panels in North America. A team of highly skilled solar engineers, technicians and scientists with experience in solar cell assembly have been hired to make the South Carolina facility possible. The company puts the health and safety of our employees and the community first. Silfab has taken precautions that exceed any of the requirements put forth by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) and the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH). These agencies were formally DHEC, the health and environment authority here in South Carolina.
Silfab Solar is excited to bring this process to the United States which will improve the country's energy independence by increasing locally produced energy generation equipment while eliminating the dependency on foreign countries to develop solar cells for the US solar market.
No, our assembly process does not result in greenhouse gas emissions or toxic waste emissions. Most of the materials used in the assembly process are consumed into the cell. Any excess materials are neutralized and treated beyond the guidelines established by EPA and DHEC.
Silfab Solar was recruited by York County. During the recruitment process we found that the county had an abundance of skilled workers and a strong local economy. Once we selected York County, we worked to meet all criteria set forth by the county and knew that we could provide a strong economic benefit to residents, businesses, and other public services.
No. All solar cell and solar modules assembly processes take place indoors.
Silfab Solar is North America’s leading solar assembly company with over 40 years of SOLAR INDUSTRY experience and one of the most trusted warranties in the industry. Our high-quality panels are trusted to power schools, government facilities, and residential homes. We are continuously improving our sustainability efforts by investing in new technology, refurbishing old panels, recycling unused products, or donating them to communities in need.
Yes.
We use water daily during the assembly process. However, after a stringent cleaning process which includes pH neutralization and fluoride precipitation in our waterwater pretreatment system, Silfab releases 90% of the water back to be cleaned again and used by the City of Rock Hill. The wastewater being discharged by Silfab Solar is regularly tested by a certified third party in compliance with the City of Rock Hill permit requirements.
We also treat the incoming city water used for cell production to meet "ultra-pure" standards, which is required for our process.
Yes, Silfab is NOT unique in this regard. Fifteen other local companies have permits for a water pretreatment system.
The recent 2023 Traffic Study showed Silfab Solar® will have insignificant impact on traffic to the community. In the study, Silfab Solar® studied the impact on residents in the neighborhood in addition to major intersections. Silfab adjusted truck deliveries to not occur during peak travel times for local residents, and Silfab Solar® off-shift schedules intend to reduce traffic during peak hours.
Silfab Solar will use significantly fewer trucks than any potential distribution center, which was the original use for the space. We will need at most one truck per hour, while distribution centers could use upwards of 1,000 trucks daily.
This process interconnects solar cells through a conductive medium to create the necessary electrical connections for the end user, laminating all the materials together and encasing the laminate in a frame to create a solar panel.
The health and safety of our employees is paramount and our top priority at Silfab Solar®. Solar Cell manufacturing is a safe process. Assembly occurs in an ISO 8 self-contained clean room environment with unique air filtration systems and temperature and humidity controls. This system helps keep the assembly process safe and clean.
Silfab is fully accountable towards repairs and remediation of damages it may cause to the building or site environment under contract with the landlord/property owner and under applicable law. Silfab will ensure insurance coverage for its obligations and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Within three years, we are committed to creating 800 new skilled jobs. We project to fill 50% of those jobs within the first year of our operations. Once fully staffed, our estimated payroll will be slightly over $11 million annually.
Silfab Solar is proud to offer nine paid holidays, medical & dental insurance, 401K retirement plan options, critical illness & disability insurance, and vision insurance. We also provide tuition reimbursement of up to $8,000 annually for eligible employees. Employees will also have the potential to earn annual or monthly bonuses based on production.
Yes, Silfab Solar qualifies for York County’s FILOT incentive offer which the County advertises to attract business. The FILOT has specific performance metrics and is subject to repayment provisions if Silfab does not achieve those metrics. The FILOT is not paid from the County’s existing pool of tax dollars, rather it amounts to a reduction of new property taxes generated by the Silfab project.
The solar industry is actively looking to diversify its suppliers. We hope to see significant progress in the reshoring of glass manufacturing as this will support Silfab to further meet its goal of reshoring the solar industry to the United States. One of Silfab’s specific goals is to repatriate solar cell production to the United States to eliminate dependency on foreign suppliers of solar cells in the domestic solar value chain.